Algeria's Timimoun Field Inaugurated
Total on March 29 officially announced that first gas has been produced from the Timimoun field in southwestern Algeria. Local sources had informed Algerian state news agency APS of this about a month earlier but neither Total nor Cepsa confirmed that to NGW then.
Cepsa, its partner, however disclosed March 28 that Timimoun was inaugurated this week at a ceremony attended by Algerian's energy minister Mustapha Guitouni and his counterparts for internal affairs and public works, as well as by representatives of Cepsa, Sonatrach and Total.
"The launch of Timimoun is a new step in [Total's] history in Algeria, where we are a longterm partner. Achieved within the planned budget, the project will contribute to Total’s production growth in 2018," said Total's E&P president Arnaud Breuillac. The production complex, which has capacity to produce around 5mn m3/d at plateau (or 30,000 barrels of oil equivalent/day, or 1.82bn m3/yr), is jointly operated by Sonatrach 51%, Total 37.75% and Cepsa 11.25%.
Timimoun's gas will be produced from 37 wells connected to a gas processing facility that ties into the GR5 pipeline used to transport gas from fields in southwestern Algeria to Hassi R’mel.
Total (including through Elf) has been present in Algeria since 1952. In 2017, Total’s production in Algeria averaged 15,000 boe/d, all of it from the Tin Fouyé Tabankort (TFT) gas and condensate field 300 km west of the Libyan border in which it has a 35% in interest. Through the Maersk Oil acquisition closed March 8 2018, Total now holds a 12.25% interest in the El-Merk, Hassi Berkine and Ourhoud oil fields with a combined production capacity of 400,000 boe/d.
Total announced November 2017 the proposed acquisition of Engie’s upstream LNG assets, a transaction which it now says will add 4.6mn mt/yr to Total's global LNG portfolio thanks to a supply agreement with Sonatrach upon closing.
Cepsa said the start-up strengthens the historic association between the three partners, after the signing of the concession contract and the gas sale agreement in December 2017. The project’s development plan was approved by the Algerian authorities in 2009.
In Algeria, together with its strategic partner, Sonatrach, Cepsa operates two important oil fields in the Berkine basin – Rhourde el Krouf (RKF) and Ourhoud (ORD), the second largest field in the country, which reached a production of 1bn barrels in November 2017.The two fields produce more than 130,000 b/d (gross). Cepsa has a 42% stake in the 8bn m3/yr, 210km long Medgaz gas pipeline, one of two gas pipelines from Algeria to Europe via Spain.
Timimoun is the middle of three fields starting in fairly quick succession in southwest Algeria, following Reggane Nord (2.9bn m3/yr at plateau, which began December 2017) and preceding Touat (4.6bn m3/yr plus condensate, expected to start up shortly).
Total's assets in Algeria (Map credit: Total)